Postremo
by jedidah
Summary: "Wake up! One of your stupid machines worked! It's sparking and I think it's about to blow up!"
1. Chapter 1

_**Postremo**_

_**)(*&^%$# !)(*&^%$# !)(*&^%$# !)(*&^%$# !)(*&^%$# !)(*&^%$# !)(*&^%$# !)(*&^%$# !**_

_**Chapter 1**_

"Wake up! One of your stupid machines worked! It's sparking and I think it's about to blow up!" The dark haired boy, dressed all in green and black, dashed inside and began shaking the lumpy form beneath the blankets. His bright green eyes sparkled with barely contained panic, as he practically shouted, "Come on! Get up!"

The figure shot out of the narrow bed, banging her knees, hard, against the desk in front of her. She brushed back her tangled, curly, shoulder length, chocolate brown hair. Her deep green eyes widened and flashed wildly as she nearly tripped. She grabbed a pair of baggy gray trousers and began tugging them on as she stumbled out into the hall. The boy ran after her, sweeping his black hair away from his face as he ran. "What was it supposed to do?"

"I have no idea. As far as I know most of them aren't even operational. At least, they aren't supposed to be." She almost tripped as she finished fastening her trousers. She bounded down the hall, letting her long legs take her down the halls in quick bounds. She made it to the end of the hall and threw open the door to the small, but well equipped, laboratory open violently. It slammed into the wall, leaving behind a rather large dent. She winced when she noticed the dent, but let it slip her mind when she saw what was going on inside. She stopped dead, eyes wide when she saw the machine.

She heard the boy coming in behind her. She grabbed his arms and twisted him in front of her as she turned her back on the machine and jumped back out into the hall. She crouched, keeping the boy cocooned safely in front of her. There was a thunderous crash; sparks flew out the still open door followed by several large pieces of twisted metal. The boy muttered, "You're going to be in so much trouble."

She released him as she murmured, "This really isn't my fault. Someone must have messed with it."

"Or maybe you didn't turn it off properly." They both looked up at the old, imposing black man who walked toward them. His long coat fluttered as he came to a halt and clasped his hands behind his back. His dark skin gleamed in the dim, flickering lights. He glared down at them, "You did turn it off properly, didn't you?"

She blinked three times in quick succession. "I think so General Fury."

Fury sighed, putting a hand on his forehead and massaging his temples, "You 'think so'?"

She shrugged; face inscrutable, "I think so. I don't remember. I started thinking about how I could modify my scooter so it can go over water. I figured out that if I can get the –" There was a crash from inside and she broke off, "Wait."

She was on her feet and back inside the lab in seconds. There was a crash, a small whimper. After that there was a long silence, and then she came out again. She looked up at Fury, "If I tell you something scary, will you be mad with me?"

"That depends on what it is." Fury considered going into the lab.

She began twisting her fingers in tight, quick circles. "The machine that malfunctioned was my," her voice trailed off as she mumbled, "experimental time and displacement machine."

Fury blinked. The boy opened his mouth as he scrambled back down the hall. "Wait till the guys hear about this! This is so bad, it's cool!"

When the boy had disappeared, Fury swallowed, "What are you telling me?"

She blinked three times, "I'm really sorry about this."

His eye narrowed and she swallowed, actually starting to feel uncomfortable, hunching her shoulders as she rested her back against the wall and looked down, trying not to catch Fury's eye. He continued staring at her, not letting his gaze drop. She swallowed hard, gathering her courage and breathing deeply. She looked up at him, meeting his eye squarely, "I had the machine pointed toward Stark Tower. Mr. Stark let me take away small objects from the top. Shoes, the occasional animal, prototypes of Justin once or twice, but that's about it." Her eyes fluttered shut three times in quick succession. "But I'd never tried it on anything from the past. When the machine malfunctioned, it somehow went back to the past and took something."

The lights in the station flickered out. Fury stiffened when he heard the startled shouts echoing around the base. The whole hallway began to shake. Glass fell from the ceiling, shattering on the floor and shooting out in all directions. The girl yelped, putting her hands up to shield her face as the glass caught her on the cheek. The base continued shaking, the vibrations getting stronger and faster, knocking the girl to the ground and almost causing Fury to fall as well.

Quite suddenly, the vibrations ceased and everything seemed to go back to normal. The lights came on again, but their light was weak and barely made a difference in the darkness. He felt the girl move close to him in the dark, getting up off the floor and slipping her hand into his. Fury considered pulling his hand away, but she sensed his intention and tightened her grip.

The bones in Fury's hand clicked.

They heard three sets of footsteps pounding down the hall. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small flashlight. He shone it at the boys as they appeared in the gloom. The tallest boy skidded to a halt, dark blond hair gleaming in the faint light as he also pulled out a flashlight and held it up, "General Fury, what happened?"

"Ask her." Fury shook his hand loose and stalked off down the hall.

The boys stared at her as the light danced across her face and lit up the hollows of her thin face. Her bloody cheek was smarting, but she smiled slightly as she confessed, "I think I just screwed up history, by a lot." She actually seemed excited by the prospect.

The tall boy sighed, "Your dad is going to kill you."

"Your dad is going to kill me." She pointed at the other boys. "And your dads are going to kill me." She paused as she looked at the last boy, "Actually, your dad might thank me, then kill me."

The green eyed boy nodded, "It's true."

The lights flickered on and off for a moment, then went out again. Another flashlight was turned on and shone directly into her eyes. She turned away as she sighed, "Terry, does SHEILD have any rules against changing the past, then fixing it and possibly destroying history as we know it?"

"You know they do." Terry sighed, "What are you planning?"

She ignored him and slipped back into the lab. Terry followed her. The other two followed them both, shoving one another roughly as they both tried to get inside the lab first. Terry yanked them back as they stared at the remains of the lab. Twisted hunks of metal lay scattered on the smoke blackened floor. The girl picked her way around the wreckage, occasionally pulling out something that she'd apparently deemed useful. When she had finished rooting though the mess, she knelt and pulled out a small bag. She kept it in her lab at all times, in case of emergencies or needing to make a quick getaway. She stuffed several large guns inside it, followed by a net and several grenades. Terry realized her intent. "You're joking."

The girl looked squarely at him. His deep, blue gold flecked eyes were troubled and his brow was furrowed in a worried frown. The blue shirt, with the black star on the chest, he wore was ripped on one sleeve and he had grime smeared on his cheeks. His muscular arms were folded on his chest. His expression changed from concern to disbelief and annoyance.

She picked up the golden scepter, the blue gem at its tip glowing faintly. She held it up and the boys stared at it, instantly recognizing Loki's fabled scepter. The blue gem flared violently when Terry tried to touch it; he pulled back hurriedly, gazing at it nervously. Terry blinked, "When did you pull this out of the time stream?"

She paused for a moment, inspecting the machine's display panel. When it stayed blank for a few seconds longer than she deemed necessary, she slapped it as hard as she could. The machine hummed, and the display lit up. "A few minutes before Natasha used it to close the portal."

Terry's jaw tightened, "What are you saying?"

"If you're too dumb to get it," The black haired boy rolled his eyes, "You really shouldn't be in charge."

"Terry's not dumb, you jerk!" The boy's grayish blue eyes snapped angrily as he rounded on the green eyed, slightly taller, boy.

Bailey shook her head at the two younger boys as they were about to begin arguing, "I don't know for sure what happened. But if it's what I think it is, then we're in serious trouble." She frowned, biting her lip roughly as she muttered, "We may need back up."

She shoved the scepter into the bag, fastening the drawstring securely before she tossed it over her shoulder. The two smaller boys stared at each other, then looked up at Terry. He had shut his eyes and seemed to be contemplating shouting. She pushed the boys out of the way, heading for the time machine. It was blackened by smoke and part of the machine had melted in one corner. Another part had broken off completely, exposing the wire and circuit boards beneath. She began turning dials, making certain the machine was still operational and not paying attention to Terry as he began talking, "Bailey, you're not going back. You can't. You've already messed up history."

"Are you sure? Nothing appears to have happened." The green eyed boy looked around. He looked up at Terry, "I don't think anything that bad could've happened."

Bailey looked at them, "It might. If you're coming with me, go get what you'll need. If you're not, then don't tell anyone where, and when, I've gone, for a few hours at least."

The boys disappeared. Bailey continued fiddling with her machine. She lifted it off its stand and made sure it was light enough for her to carry easily. It was small enough to be carried in both arms, almost like a baby. It made her double over under the weight, but only for a moment, then she straightened up, adjusting to the weight easily. She put it down on the counter, turned it over, pulled out the strap that had been trapped beneath it and slipped it over her left shoulder and let it rest on her chest. The boys reappeared after a moment, each with a bag strapped on their back. They went over to her, eyeing the contraption warily. Bailey smiled at them.

That was when Fury suddenly dashed back inside. He had his gun drawn and was covered in grime. He stared at them, "Who the hell are you?" He leveled his gun at Terry before waiting for an answer. His finger began pulling back on the trigger, obviously not caring for an explanation.

Terry stared at Fury, not incredibly shocked, before moving quickly. He grabbed Fury's gun and spun the older man into the wall. He pressed his forearm against Fury's neck, holding it there as gently as he possibly could.

Fury was strong despite his age, but he was no match for Terry. Soon the one eyed man went limp. Terry caught him as he fell forward and leaned him against the wall. He grabbed the shorter boys and shoved them in front of him. He glared down at the girl, "You'd better not screw this up Bails."

"She won't. I bet she does this all the time, don't you Bailey?" The slim red headed boy wriggled away from Terry and grinned at Bailey.

She looked down at him, blinking three times in quick succession. She looked back at the console. "Actually, this will be the first time it's been used on anything human."

"What?" All three boys stared at her.

She smiled.

Terry sighed, "Do we hold onto anything?"

"Just make sure you can hold onto me and we'll be fine." Bailey looked down as a pair of arms snaked around her chest. "A little lower, Justin."

Terry swatted the shorter boy across the ear. "Don't be an idiot."

The green eyed boy laughed and Justin glowered at him as he rubbed his ear tenderly, "Shut up Lofi."

Lofi smirked, "I don't see why I should." He rested a hand gracefully on Bailey's shoulder, ignoring the others completely as he stared off into the distance.

Justin stuck his tongue out, but when Lofi refused to acknowledge him Justin simply grabbed Bailey's hair and tugged on it slightly. Bailey considered shaking him off, but instead let him hold on. After a moment, Justin grabbed her waist with one arm and began poking Loki with his free hand. Terry held onto the Lofi's shoulders, resting a hand on the gun holster at his waist and looking over his shoulder to make sure no SHEILD agents were about to run in.

"Hang on." The boys tightened their grip as Bailey hit the glowing green button.

Lofi spoke up suddenly, "Wait, how are we going to get back?"

Bailey started to answer, but the machine whirred and they were sucked into a tunnel of light. To the teens, it felt as if they were simply lifted into the air. Really, their bodies disintegrated rapidly and disappeared into the tunnel. The colors alternated in a blur. Blue, white, purple, black all flashed past and were so bright the teens had to shut their eyes against the glare. Bailey felt the grip on her waist tighten and squinted down at Justin. He grinned at her, shouting over the white noise that crackled around them, "Do you think we can get grounded in the past?"

**XXXXX**

**This was written on a whim. And I've been on an Avengers kick of a while now. Remember, if you like it, review it. **


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

Bailey woke, feeling a crushing weight on her chest and stomach. She looked down; putting her head on one side when she saw Justin and Lofi curled up on her stomach and cuddled close to each other. Bailey liked the way Lofi's straight dark hair contrasted with Justin's auburn curls. Lofi had his chin nestled against the crook of Justin's shoulder and his right arm rested across Justin's stomach. She realized they were shivering and then realized she was too. Her breath misted in front of her and she blinked three times. She sat up, making sure the boy's heads stayed on her lap and didn't slam against the hard ground. She looked around, feeling with one hand for the bag she had packed before they left. She pulled out a blanket, unfolding it and throwing it over the boys. Then she pulled out a second blanket and slipped it under their heads.

She eased away from them, lying beside them on the cold ground as she looked around, hooking her hands behind her head as she did. They were lying the burned out husk of what had once been a skyscraper. The smell of burned wood and scorched metal made her wrinkle her nose in disgust. She had realized it was winter when she felt the cold, but now she noticed the snow. It sparkled and made the wreckage look almost beautiful. Then she caught sight of something under a pile of rubble and shoved the boys away from her as she crawled over to it, eyes wide with urgency and fright.

Both boys sat up, looking around blearily. They stared at each other, black and gray-blue eyes going wide with terror, when they realized their close proximity. Then they jumped apart and went red. Lofi held out a hand, "We will never speak of this again."

"Agreed." They shook briefly, then moved away from each other as quickly as humanly possible. Then they turned their attention to Bailey. She was hunkered down next to the pile of scrap. Her shoulders shook and she seemed to be crying, dirt was streaked on her face from her tears and from digging in the rubble and dirt. They stared at her, not sure of what to do. Terry's voice made them jump, "What's wrong? What did you do?"

Terry's gold flecked blue eyes sparkled with concern as he looked at Bailey. He pushed back his thick blond hair and hooked it behind his ears as he looked at the other boys for an explanation. Justin glared at him as he muttered defensively, "We didn't do anything!"

Terry rolled his eyes, giving both boys a withering glance. He strode over to Bailey and knelt beside her. He looked down at what had caught her attention so completely and his eyes narrowed. The mangled, bloody hand of a child was half hidden under the rocks. He pulled Bailey away from the rocks and stopped her from looking back at the body by grabbing her chin and forcing him to look at her. He jerked his chin at Justin, "Put the blanket away and look over in that direction. I found a car that might run, but you'll need to hotwire it. I wiped the dust off the windows; you'll know which one it is."

Justin nodded, folding the blanket quickly. He swung the bag over his shoulder, adjusting it to make sure it didn't collide with his bag, as he started off. Lofi followed him, but not before trying to trip Justin. Justin hissed, jumping over Lofi's foot and scrambling up the hill of debris till he reached the top. Terry stayed silent for a moment, waiting for Bailey to stop shaking. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She looked up at him. "I should never have tried to mess with time. It's not a good idea, unless you're a Time Lord."

"I thought those were extinct." Terry muttered as he pulled her to her feet.

"Not entirely." She almost smiled, until the wind blew and shifted the snow away to reveal the devastation beneath. Bodies that had lain hidden beneath their shroud of snow were now exposed. Bailey stared at them, clutching Terry's hand and nearly cracking the bones as she murmured, "It's my fault, the whole damn thing."

Terry didn't try to deny her statement. Bailey let go of him and scrambled away from the bodies. She was over the pile of rummage in seconds. She rolled down the pile, putting her hands in front of her to stop herself from rolling headfirst into an overturned van. She heard Lofi laughing as she got to her feet and brushed herself off, glaring at the two boys as they stood next to the now running sports car. Terry appeared and glared at the smaller boys as he hissed, "Shut up, do you want to attract attention?"

Lofi shrugged, "Whose attention would we attract?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe theirs." Justin pointed and they all turned. Huge, alien creatures loomed over them. Lofi coughed, stepping back as he muttered, "This is not good."

Bailey blinked three times, her legs trembling with pent up adrenaline and her eyes flashing as she said, "Get in the car." Her voice went slightly higher as she repeated, "Get in the car!"

Terry shouted at them, "Get in!"

Lofi and Justin didn't argue with him. They dived into the car, leaving the doors unlocked. Terry reached Bailey's side and grabbed her around the waist as Justin revved the engine and reversed sharply. Bailey and Terry both jumped onto the roof of the car. Terry steadied Bailey, keeping his arm around her tightly to make sure she was balanced, as they knelt on the roof of the car. Bailey pulled loose, leaned over the side of the car and knocked on the window. Lofi rolled it down, grinning at her as he asked, "Do you want the gun, or the really big gun?"

"Which one would work the best?"

"I would recommend the really big gun."

Lofi handed it to her and Bailey smiled as she got to her feet and hoisted the gun, which was almost the same size as a bazooka, onto her shoulder. She fired at an alien. Terry blinked when the alien exploded. He looked down at Bailey, "Where did you learn to shoot?"

"My dad taught me." He looked disbelieving, so she continued, "He said I needed to be marginally proficient in every way possible to defend myself if necessary. He taught me how to shoot, how to defend myself if I ever need to." She handed him the gun. She knelt again and knocked on the window. Lofi looked out at her, "Do you want the other gun?"

"Yes." He handed it to her. She started to aim the gun, but the aliens veered off and flew away. Bailey put her head on one side. She looked up at Terry, "Why did they do that?"

Justin slammed on the brakes. Bailey slid down the windshield, stopping herself by digging her heels into the front of the car. She left behind two identical gouges. She looked up at Terry, "I think I should've figured out a way to communicate with Fury before we came here. It might've saved us some time and trouble, not to mention lots of annoying explanations."

Justin and Lofi climbed out of the car, both climbing onto the top of the car and grinning at each other. Terry glared at her. "Just wait till I get you back to our time."

Lofi stifled a remark, but couldn't help his choking cough. Justin had no such stipulation, but one glare from Terry stopped him in his tracks. He stepped back, nearly falling off the top of the car. Bailey slid off the car, smiling at the group in front of them, "Can you take us to General Fury now?"

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"You're telling me you're from the future, why should I believe that?" Agent Perkins looked at the four teens and contemplated throwing them out. The four had been brought in by the team of reconnaissance agents that had seen them when they were out on patrol. The children had been blindfolded before they had been brought in. But Perkins was almost certain they had some slight inkling of where they were.

Justin stared at the man. He appeared young, but he had deep lines carved into his forehead and around his mouth. He started to grin, but stopped himself as he spoke up, "Well, I could tell you who my –"

Bailey clapped her hands over Justin's mouth, jerking him back slightly as she hissed, "You can't tell them anything. Do you want to mess up the time stream anymore?"

"No, I'll just leave that to you."

Terry sighed, "It's not like she meant to mess anything up. She usually just messes up little things."

"I don't mess up all that much." She slammed her hands down on the table, flinching as it cracked and chips of metal flew off in all directions. Bailey blinked three times, looking up nervously at the agent. He pretended not to notice.

Lofi rubbed his temples as he looked up at Perkins and smiled, "Can you please do something productive and kill me now?"

"I'll do it." Justin muttered as he glared at Lofi.

"You're not killing anyone." Terry separated the smaller boys as they lunged at one another.

"Don't you remember how depressed you got last time? And that was accidental. Imagine how bad it would be if you did it on purpose." Bailey looked back at Perkins, apprehension flashing in her eyes for a moment before she turned back to Justin. "It was really bad. He would try to hurt himself constantly."

Perkins shut his eyes, clenching his jaw as he repressed a sigh. He walked to the door and was gone in seconds. Justin glowered at Bailey. "I hate you sometimes."

"The feeling is mutual." Her face was blank, voice completely serious.

Terry sat down again, making sure he was in-between Bailey and Justin. Bailey smiled at him, leaning against his shoulder. Her eyes fluttered shut and her breathing slowed instantly. Justin rolled his eyes. "She could sleep through the apocalypse."

"In a way, she is."

"I'm not asleep." All three started at her voice. "Sleep isn't productive. This is just something I do when I know my body wants to sleep." She was on her feet in a second. "Let's go."

Bailey knelt, inspecting the door and fiddling with the lock. Justin bounded over, "How are you going to get it open? Do you still have your lock picking kit I bought you for Christmas? I thought you'd like it."

"Yes, I still have it. I don't have it now." Bailey looked up at Terry. "Look away, I'm about to break something."

Terry groaned, "Don't you da-"

The snap echoed round the room. Bailey tossed Lofi the doorknob. "Keep it."

Lofi stared at it, then threw it at Justin's head. Justin ducked and the knob rolled across the floor, clanging hollowly across the cold concrete. Bailey stared at it as it came to a stop. Then she was on her feet and slipping out into the hall. The boys were forced to run after her as they tried in vain to keep up with her pace. The tunnels were damp, dark and smelled musty. Bailey rounded several corners, almost tripping as she hopped over a rusted train track. She looked down at it briefly, "We're in the subway."

The boys didn't question her, knowing she was right. Justin caught up with her, "Why are we down here?"

Lofi sighed, "If what I think happened. There's only one reason we're down here: It's the best place to hide." He glared at Bailey, "This is your fault."

She nodded noncommittally, saying nothing as she sped up slightly. Terry swatted Lofi on the side of the head. Lofi winced, glaring up at him. Justin laughed aloud, speeding around a corner before grinding to a halt and staring at the group in the tunnel. They didn't notice him at first, but what he did next ensured their full attention was focused on him instantly. His eyes lit up, his whole body seemed lighter and he shot forward at a run, as he shouted, "Mommy!"

**XXXXXXXX**

**Thank you Fell4 for reviewing. I hope this made some kind of sense. **


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Bailey's eyes widened. Terry looked startled. Lofi shut his eyes, shook his head and muttered, "Damn."

Justin ran toward the red haired woman who sat alone at the edge of the tunnel, watching the rest of the group talk and argue. Her white suit was crumpled, dirty, frayed slightly around the edges. Her gray eyes widened in surprise as he threw himself at her and hugged her firmly around the neck. One hand had strayed down to the gun at her side, but instead of pulling it out she put her hands on Justin's shoulders and pushed him away from her. She stared at him, searching his face, until she reached a conclusion. Then her face went white, her mouth opened and she sucked in a gasp of air, as if she was drowning.

Terry bounded over and jerked Justin away from her. She continued staring at him, trembling slightly and breathing hard. Justin stared at her, "Mom wha-"

Bailey and Lofi joined them, helping to pull Justin back to the edge of the tunnel. Several men came toward them, all three standing protectively in front of the red haired woman. The biggest one, blue eyed and blond haired, crossed his arms, muscles rippling as he asked, "Who might you children be?"

Lofi stifled a laugh. Bailey smacked him on the back of the head, "Shut up." The slap sent the shorter boy flying into the man's chest. Lofi dived away from him, snarling a muffled curse at Bailey as he glared at her. She paid him no mind as she looked up at the men, "Do you know where I can find Bruce Banner?"

"He's right here." Bruce appeared his glasses askew and clothes rumpled. He looked at them carefully.

She blinked three times. "You look so young."

"That's something I haven't heard in a while." Bruce seemed almost pleased, but he didn't pause to gloat, "Who're you?"

"I'm Bailey." She gestured behind her, looking up at the rest of the group with a smirk barely creasing her mouth. "I hope you can figure out who they are."

Terry shook his head, "Don't be cryptic."

"Why not? I hardly get the chance. I enjoy it when I get the chance." Bailey's green eyes danced wickedly as she pushed back a tuft of dark hair across her forehead. Her eyes lost the gleam after a moment, her whole body scrunching down slightly. She frowned, as she looked down ashamedly.

Lofi sighed, "Oh, for the gods' sakes."

Justin continued staring sadly at the woman, "Mommy."

"Stop looking like a lost puppy. It's useless and pathetic. It fits you perfectly." Lofi snapped at him. Justin looked down, forehead creasing thoughtfully. Then he punched Lofi in the nose. Lofi stumbled back, hands going up to cover his bleeding nose. Terry grabbed him, jerking him back and away from Lofi. Bailey sighed, "You ought to know better than to bait him."

Lofi couldn't help his grin. He tipped his head back as he muttered, "But it's so much fun." Then he looked at Justin's face, red with anger and eyes shining red with angry tears. Lofi looked at the assembly around him, sighing as he muttered unwillingly, "I apologize."

Justin shook free from Terry. "No you don't. Tell me that when you mean it." He looked up at the men, lips twisting in a smirk as he asked, "Thor, what do you think of your son?"

Lofi's howl of protest cut off Thor's answer. Bruce winced at the noise, stepping back and blinking. Bailey sighed, "Someday the two of you will realize you actually like each other."

Justin and Lofi glared at each other. Thor interrupted the glaring match as he studied Lofi carefully and asked, "Are you certain he is not related to my brother? He looks rather frail and delicate."

Justin began to laugh, but Lofi looked hurt. Terry patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry. You're fine the way you are."

"Even if you can't lift a twenty pound weight three times in a row," Justin muttered.

Bailey sighed, "If you two are done, I have more important things to worry about than your childishness." She looked up at Bruce, "Do you know where they keep the things they confiscated? I need to get a few things out of my bag."

A different man answered for Bruce, "You know we can't tell you that."

She blinked three times, raising her chin to look the man in the eyes, "I know that Mr. Rogers, but I don't particularly care."

Steve nodded, "I thought you might say that."

Terry sighed, "I knew she would say that."

Justin let out a derisive snort, "Daddy's boy," he muttered as he rolled his eyes at Terry.

"Momma's brat," Lofi shot back, stepping into defend Terry.

"Disappointment," Terry growled, glaring at Lofi for defending him.

"Idiots," Bailey said. The boys glared at each other, then glared at Bailey. She shrugged, "You all know it's true."

"If it's not too much trouble, would you mind explaining who you are?" Bruce crossed his arms.

Bailey looked at the boys, forehead wrinkling. "I can explain, but I don't know if –"

"For crying out loud, get over it! The time stream is messed up already, a little more won't destroy the universe." Justin snapped, eyes flashing. He pointed at Terry, then at Steve, "Father, son reunion, make with the happy." He turned on Thor, "Meet your nephew, kill him instantly."

Bruce inspected Bailey, "Are you related to Clint?"

She looked at him, almost as if she was inspecting a particularly nasty insect. "No, he and Natasha don't have children." She spoke slowly, "Natasha got hurt. They had to cut out part of her stomach to save her life. She's fine, but she can't have kids."

Justin suddenly looked around, voice slowing as he asked, "Where's my –"

Bailey spoke up, "It's quite possible he's dead."

"Shut up." He looked at the red haired woman, "Mom, where's –"

"Stop it." She stood up, eyes dark and lips trembling. She stepped up, reaching out to brush back Justin's hair. She sighed, "You look just like him."

Bailey looked down, "I'm sorry Miss. Potts."

Pepper looked at the girl. "Sorry for what?"

Bailey shook back her curls, eyes clear as she faced the group, "It's my fault. I messed up, so I'm sorry."

There was a heavy silence, all eyes on Bailey narrowed. She didn't flinch, merely looking back at them with an expression that could have been carved from granite. Her jaw tightened as she stepped back into the darkness of the tunnel. She whirled, moving faster than expected as she ran. Terry shut his eyes, sighed deeply and muttered, "I'll go get her."

As he walked away, Lofi and Justin glanced at each other, then called simultaneously, "We'll come too!"

Thor reached down and snagged their shoulders. He pulled them both to a stop. "I think the two of you will stay here and tell us what is going on."

"I'm not entirely sure." Justin smiled nervously, "You'll have to ask Bailey. She's the only one who knows what really happened."

"She's also the one who messed everything up." Lofi pointed out as he squirmed away from Thor and glowered up at the Asgardian prince.

"Wait. You're telling us this was that girl's fault?" Bruce frowned as he massaged his forehead. "That Loki won?"

"We don't know for sure." Justin glowered at Lofi, then looked back to the adults, "We think someone might've messed with it."

Steve looked at them, "You don't think so."

Justin looked down; jaw clenched and eyes hard, "I don't know what to think. She's never done anything like this before. I don't have a reason to think she messed up. She's too good." He grinned, "Besides, her dad would kill her if she messed anything this big up."

Lofi snorted, "But how do you know she didn't mess something up?"

"You just want it to be her fault so no one can blame you."

Lofi's eyes narrowed dangerously and he shifted his stance. His eyes began to glow an ominous red, "If you're questioning my loyalty –"

"You do it, and I'll make a hole in your head." Justin raised his open palms and exposed the gauntlets he wore.

Thor grabbed Lofi and swung him away from Justin. Pepper snatched the red haired boy and pulled him off to one side. Steve looked at Bruce, "Is it poss-"

Banner nodded, "In theory. If you change one vital point in history, a whole new reality could be created." He tried to mask his gleeful expression, but failed as he said, "I have friends who've always wanted to study alternate timelines."

Steve frowned at him, "Well, now they can."

**XXXXXXXX**

**Well, here's chapter three. I want to thank Amy (who I sadly couldn't reply to), Raychaell Dionzeros (cool pen name), and AaylaKitofNiflhiem (I really hope I got that right) for their reviews. **


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

Bailey climbed up a disused sewage tunnel. It still smelled rank, but Bailey ignored the smell as she continued climbing. She pushed aside a hunk of twisted metal as she squeezed out of the hole. She paused for a moment, thinking she heard Terry's voice in the distance, but decided it was her imagination and continued. She knelt for a moment, looking around the desolate city and trying to find any landmarks that would tell her where she was. She'd never spent much time in New York, but she'd memorized the city's layout on a whim. But she was unused to the original layout of the city. After New York had been bombed one too many times, the city's planners had decided to change everything.

Bailey got to her feet, figured out which way was north and took off. Soon she was in the area that had been known as Hell's Kitchen. Even in her time, that area of the city had remained the same. No one could change Hell.

As she walked down its streets she almost laughed. Everything seemed normal. Women still loitered on street corners, trying to catch the attention of passersby. Men lay in the gutters, sprawled out in limp piles of filth and flesh. People eyed her from alley ways and Bailey kept her head low as she walked. She heard footsteps behind her and turned quickly when she felt a hand touch her back pocket.

She grabbed the man's hand and jammed her fingernails into his veins. She pulled his arm straight up and slammed her fist into his elbow. There was a sickening crack and his arm bent in an entirely different direction. Bailey released him and walked away as he began howling in pain and writhing on the trash littered ground. No one troubled her again for the remainder of her walk.

Bailey reached the rundown building and looked up at it. The sign hung off lopsidedly. Bailey bounded up the steps and didn't bother knocking. She pushed open the door and looked into the room on her left. A hunched figure sat next to the window. Bailey walked over to him and put out a hand, "Matt Murdock?"

He looked up at her, eyes fixed on her, but not seeing her. He took her hand, "Have we met before?"

Bailey paused for a moment, "Sort of."

He shifted slightly and Bailey stepped back. She looked down at him, "What are you doing here?"

Matt looked up at her, "What –"

"Why aren't you out there?"

He didn't answer and Bailey frowned, "At least give me an answer." When he still said nothing, she scowled, "I figured _you'd_ be out there."

"Yes, because all the people who're staying with us would think it was normal for the 'blind man' to be doing to same things as everybody else." Matt mumbled.

Bailey noted the annoyance in his voice and put her head on one side as she said, "I hate those stereotypes. They're troublesome." Bailey asked, "Do you know where Peter Parker is?"

Murdock looked sharply at her, "He's out with the others."

Bailey shook her head, "I suppose I'm staying here till he gets back then."

She sat down on the floor, crossed her legs and shut her eyes. She breathed deeply and felt her body begin to relax. Matt's voice broke the silence, "Who are you?"

"Bailey." She almost grinned, but decided it was pointless because he couldn't see it. "Don't worry, in a few years you'll know who I am just by hearing my name." She opened one eye, "I'm infamous."

**XXXXXXXXX**

Terry knew Bailey would be angry, he almost regretted knocking on the door of the dilapidated building in Hell's Kitchen. She might even break her poker face.

Bailey opened the door and stared at him. She looked confused, "How did –" Then her eyes narrowed.

Terry stepped back, panic setting in, but Bailey's hand snapped out and grabbed his collar. Her fingers gripped the back of his neck as she pulled him in the doorway. Terry caught sight of the disheveled man and looked at her, "You found Murdock?"

She nodded, then asked, "How did you find me?"

Matt seemed to sense something was about to happen and made the snap decision to leave the room. Terry started to speak, then he closed his mouth so quickly his teeth clicked together. He stepped back as Bailey's hand arched toward him. Her fingers barely grazed his cheek, but it was enough to send him stumbling back. He clawed a battered couch to keep from falling and spun around to face her as he went into a crouch.

Bailey looked at him, her disappoint obvious, "You told me I didn't have a tracking device anymore."

"You expected me to tell you?" Terry shook his head, "SHEILD –"

"SHIELD," Bailey frowned, blinked three times, seemingly trying compute his statement, "I'm their new science project, aren't I?"

Terry looked away. Bailey looked down. She ran her fingers up her arms. Her eyes narrowed as she asked, "Where is it?"

"The base of your skull," Terry slid a hand into his pocket and pulled out a long, thin bladed knife.

Bailey stared at it momentarily, then she went to a chair and sat down. She fumbled in her pockets till she found an old, lint covered hair tie. She pulled her hair to the top of her head and bundled it into the tie as best she could. Terry stood behind her, the cold knife barely touching her skin. He looked almost sick. "Are you sure you want me to?"

She barely nodded, but she stiffened and sucked in her breath. Terry shook his head, "You're crazy."

He made the first cut slowly. Matt appeared again as Bailey yelped. He smelled blood. A shape formed by the air caught his attention and he grabbed the boy's wrist tightly. "What are you doing to her?"

Terry explained quickly, doing his best not to let Matt know how much his wrist was hurting. Matt took the knife. He put one finger on Bailey's neck. "I'll do it."

Bailey flinched as the blade made contact again. Matt's hand was much surer than Terry's and soon he was holding a small black disk in his hand. He cleaned Bailey's blood off it and handed it to her. Terry found a relatively clean bandana and folded it up. He held it against Bailey's neck. She seemed to forget she was bleeding as she inspected the tracking device.

Terry sighed. Matt looked at them both. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Terry put the bandana down, deciding to let her bleed, "We're from the future. Bailey's time machine malfunctioned. It's simple."

He disappeared outside. Bailey looked up at Matt, "Well?"

"He's definitely hiding something."

Bailey looked after Terry, "I knew that much."

**XXXXXXX**

**I got this done pretty quick, didn't I? Anyway, thanks to Raychaell Dionzeros and Amy (Lofi's the baby) for their reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter. **


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

Justin and Lofi glowered at each other. They sat across from each other, watching as Pepper messed around with a gun. She cleaned it expertly as she lectured the boys, "If I ever see you trying to kill one another again, I will handcuff you together and leave you like that for the rest of the day."

Justin's eyes widened. "You wouldn't."

"Didn't I threaten you like this when you were little?" Pepper put the gun down as she stared at him.

"I had a nanny."

"We had a nanny." Lofi corrected. He glared at Justin, "We had to spend five years in the same nursery."

"It was hell." Justin muttered.

Lofi frowned, "It wasn't that bad."

"I suppose not." Justin grinned at him.

Pepper looked at them worriedly. Bruce appeared and Pepper got to her feet quickly. She grabbed his arm and ushered him out of the room quickly. She pulled him around the corner as she whispered, "Bruce, do you think they're together?"

He shook his head, "Pepper, is that what you're worried about? Our reality has effectively been destroyed by a group of teenagers and you're worried your son might be gay?"

She shrugged, "I just wondered."

"How about you ask them?" He suggested.

"You don't need to." Lofi and Justin stood behind them. Justin had both arms wrapped snugly around Lofi's waist. Lofi had one hand resting on Justin's shoulder and the other was twined in his red hair. Justin grinned, "We have nothing to hide."

Pepper gulped, "Oh, I see." Her eyes were wide, "If that's the way you want to live your life I –"

Lofi shoved Justin away. He brushed himself off as he groused, "I told you she wouldn't freak out."

Justin shrugged, "It would've been funny."

Pepper glared at them, "You were trying to scare me?"

Justin looked up at her, "Oh God, run!"

He grabbed Lofi and pulled him along the corridor. Lofi stumbled after him, "Why are we running?"

"The tip of her nose is turning white that means she's ticked."

Lofi pulled free, but continued running. Justin dashed round a corner. Lofi stumbled, but Justin caught him and pulled him upright. They crouched down; hiding in the shadows till they were sure Pepper had passed them. Just as they were about to stand, Natasha's amused voice startled them, "I thought so."

Lofi scrambled away from Justin. He threw his hands in the air, "Why does this happen to me? Why do I always get caught?" He glared at the ceiling, "This is your fault Father!"

"You're probably right." Justin stepped back, "He always hated you. Ever since that thing with the –"

"Shut up Tin Man!" Lofi's voice was almost a howl.

Justin rolled his eyes, "Is that the best you can do?"

Lofi raised a brow challengingly. Then he proceeded to turn the air blue. Justin's eyes went wide and he looked at Lofi wonderingly, "Where did you learn those?"

"I went to a bar with Matt."

Justin's mouth opened in an O, "Lucky."

Natasha rolled her eyes, deciding enough was enough, "Go back to your room."

**XXXXXXX**

Bailey took Matt's arm as they headed for the door. He looked down at her questioningly. Bailey grinned, "It'll look better if anyone sees us."

Matt knew she was right and allowed her to lead him out the door. He paused for a moment, "What about Peter?"

"I left him a note. He'll be at SHEILD headquarters at some point." Bailey led him the rest of the way down. Terry stood at the bottom of the steps. He looked up when they appeared and said, "You may want to hurry. I've counted four patrols already. The next one will be here in fifteen minutes."

Bailey nodded, "It's only sensible for them to have patrols." She kept walking as she asked, "Did you call and let them know we're coming back."

Terry shook his head. Bailey sighed, "Wouldn't that be a good idea? I don't like being shot."

Matt seconded her statement, "I don't care much for it either."

Terry put a hand in the air, "I'll do it. I'll do it."

He walked a little faster and pulled his small phone out as he went. Matt listened to his conversation they walked. Terry's voice was low as he spoke, but Matt caught every word. Bailey let of his arm briefly and jumped over an over turned trashcan. Matt walked around a pile of trash as he said, "I've been waiting for an explanation."

"I know." Bailey smiled, "You'll have wait a little longer."

There was a beeping noise and she looked down at her wrist. Her brow furrowed, as she muttered, "How did –"

She looked up at the sky, then called to Terry, "We have a problem."

He stopped dead, turned to face her and winced, "What now?"

"The time machine is active. Someone's using it." She blinked three times, her voice slowing as her eyes went wide, "But it's my old one. The one I thought I told Arvid to destroy." She winced, "We may want to get under a heavy object now."

She grabbed Matt's hand and pulled him along. Terry followed her, looking around worriedly as the wind picked up and bits of trash began flying around. Soda cans began flying and one hit Terry directly in the face. He yelped and Bailey called back, "Don't be so silly. It didn't hurt that much."

A can hit Matt in the chest and he coughed. Bailey ducked as a bottle flew at her. Matt moved his head, and the bottle smacked Terry in the face. His nose started bleeding and he scowled. Bailey jerked Matt to the ground, pushing him under the SUV in front of her. Terry followed, making sure to keep Bailey in front of him. Bailey scooted closer to Matt, giving Terry more room to scramble under the van. The van began to shake wildly and Terry hissed, "Was this the best place to hide?"

"Do you see anywhere else?" Bailey asked as she started to crawl out from under the car. Terry grabbed her ankle, "Are you crazy?"

She blinked at him. He released her. Bailey scrambled out from under the car and held onto the door handle tightly as she looked up at the sky. Her hair flew around her head like a demented halo. Her feet slipped out from under her and she yelped as she was pulled toward the sky. Terry shook his head as he called, "You shouldn't have gone out there."

Bailey rolled her eyes. She looked down at the still beeping watch. It broke suddenly, the springs popping out everywhere. She slid it off and dropped it. It flew into the air. Bailey kept her body loose as she waited to fall back to earth.

The sky split open. Tendrils of light shot out of the dark hole and lightning flashed. A nearby building was struck and bits of glass fell to the ground. Bailey fell with them and landed hard on her back. She turned her head as a shard nearly ripped open her cheek. The hole widened, the sky seemed to groan, the building shook and Bailey yelled, "I told you to destroy it!"

The tall shadow stepped out of the swirling dust. "I didn't know I was supposed to take your orders."

**XXXXXXX**

**And here's chapter five! Thanks so much to Amy (Yeah, Terry has a lot to explain) and Raychaell Dionzeros for their reviews. **


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

The hole closed and everything went back to normal. Terry scrambled out from under the car, "What are you doing here?"

The taller boy grinned and punched Terry playfully on the arm. Terry was knocked backwards. Matt yanked his hand out of the way. Terry's foot came down directly where Matt's hand had been a second before. Terry muttered an apology.

Matt crawled out from under the car. He could feel annoyance radiating from Terry. He put his hand on the boy's arm as he murmured, "Who's that?"

"Arvid," He rolled his eyes as he said sarcastically, "The 'Eagle of Asgard.'"

The 'Eagle of Asgard' was tall; he towered over Terry and was just as tall, if not taller, than Thor. His shoulders were broad and his muscles well defined. He wore armor and a dark green cloak. His thick hair was pulled behind his head in a long braid that reached the top of his hips, but several shorter braided strands, each one with jewels woven into the braid, were loose around his face. He had a firm jaw and high, wide cheekbones. His eyes were bright green and his lashes were incredibly dark.

Terry continued glaring at the boy. Matt looked at them, "I take it you two aren't friends."

Terry shrugged, "We aren't not friends and we aren't friends."

Arvid put an arm around Bailey's shoulders. She looked up at him, "Let go."

"Why?" He grinned, displaying his startlingly white teeth.

She blinked three times. Terry snapped, "Arvid, let go. You're annoying her."

Arvid released her and Bailey asked, "Why didn't you destroy the time machine?"

"It seemed as if it could be useful in the future."

She sighed, "Don't start that annoying Asgardian method of speaking."

"Fine," He shook his braids back, "Where's my cousin?"

"With the grownups," Bailey replied.

"You left him alone?"

"No, Justin's with him."

Arvid winced. But he merely turned to Murdock, "You're looking good."

"I've been living in an abandoned building with Parker for nearly a month. I look good as opposed to what?" Matt was starting to get annoyed.

"Last time I saw you, you'd been thrown through a wall." Arvid smiled, "You lost six teeth and had a concussion."

"Six," Matt was a little shocked.

Arvid adjusted his sword. Bailey's gaze riveted on his belt. Arvid smiled. Terry grimaced. Bailey looked at the sword carefully, "Is that Surtur?"

Arvid nodded smugly. Bailey smiled thinly, "Just wait till I tell your dad."

The Eagle glared at her. Bailey ignored him as she grabbed Matt. She pulled him along till she reached a manhole. She knelt and pulled it off. Matt gagged, his eyes beginning to water. Bailey slid a hand in her pocket, fumbling around till she found the clothes pin. She passed it to him. Matt clipped it to his nose.

Arvid looked disgusted, "Do we really have to go down there?"

Bailey scrambled into the hole. Terry and Matt followed quickly. Arvid eyed the hole, then pulled his cloak around his firmly and climbed in. He replaced the cover as best he could, and began to climb the rest of the way down.

Bailey hadn't bothered to wait. She'd pulled Matt down the tunnel and left Terry to wait for Arvid. The boys eyed each other, then started off, not speaking to one another. They could hear Bailey and Matt talking softly, but couldn't make out the words.

Arvid scowled at Bailey's back, his eyes roving up and down her figure. Terry rolled his eyes, "Stop pouting. You're not nine."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're staring at her like you want to eat her."

Arvid raised a brow and smirked. Terry grimaced, "Oh, ew."

"What? I can't help myself."

Bailey ground to a halt. She put a hand up. The boys stopped talking and moved to her side instantly, making no noise as they went. She leaned up to whisper in Terry's ear, "Matt heard something."

They heard footsteps. The boys tensed. Matt moved into the shadows. Bailey did nothing at all to conceal her presence. Two shadows shot round the corner. Arvid grabbed the slighter one and lifted him into the air by the scruff of the neck, "Lofi, what do you think you're doing?"

Justin stopped and glared at Arvid. He crossed his arms, "Put him down!"

Arvid tucked Lofi under his arm. The smaller boy cursed and struggled. Arvid patted his head roughly, "Now cousin, there is no need for bad manners, especially not in front of a lady."

Lofi continued swearing, his cheeks flushing angrily. Arvid clapped his huge, calloused hand over Lofi's mouth. Lofi's curses trailed off into strangled mumbles as he attempted to bite Arvid's hand. Justin glowered at Arvid, "Are you going to put him down now?"

Arvid smirked at the boy. He dangled Lofi by his collar. The dark haired boy tried vainly to touch the ground, but his toes were nearly seven inches off the ground. Terry tried to hide his grin, but failed. Instead he began to mock Justin. "Aw, are you worried about him? Does the little robot miss his toy?"

Terry's mouth was suddenly filled with blood. He was knocked flying, his cheek scraping against the bricks. Arvid's head was yanked backward by his braids and a hard kick caught him in the back of his knee joint. He fell, letting go of Lofi in the process.

Justin grabbed Lofi and pulled him out of the way as Bailey's foot slammed down on Arvid's chest. He doubled over, groaning in pain and gasping for air. Matt pulled Terry to his feet, his inhumanly strong hands gripping the boy's neck none to gently.

Bailey jerked Arvid to his knees, gripping the hair at the base of his skull tightly as she hissed, "I told you not to tease them anymore."

Her voice stayed calm, level, cold. It never changed pitch or tone. Only the tightness of her grip betrayed her anger. Matt however, was not so calm. He shook Terry violently, "Are you stupid?"

He lectured them both for a few minutes, not bothering to loosen his grip or restrain his language. Lofi and Justin stared at him, open mouthed as he told Arvid and Matt exactly what he thought of them. Bailey released Arvid and walked to Justin and Lofi. She shoved them down the passage as she asked, "What are you doing out here?"

"We got bored." Justin confessed. He risked a glance at Lofi, "Besides, my mom thinks we're together."

The rest of their group appeared, both boys with red faces and bloody lips. Bailey put her head on one side, "But you are together."

Lofi moaned, "No. She thinks we're," he grimaced, "dating."

Bailey nodded, then frowned, "You mean you aren't?"

Justin let out a strangled groan. Lofi looked as if he was going to be sick. Arvid and Terry tried their hardest not to laugh. Matt looked up, asking silently, _"Why me?"_

**XXXXXXXXX**_  
_

**Here's six! Thank you to Amy (Yeah, they're usually in trouble) and Raychaell Dionzeros, for their reviews. **


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

Once they got back to the camp, and explained Terry and Arvid's bruises, things began to revert to a state of normality. Arvid had been introduced to his father. Thor had been thrilled. He had inspected the boy carefully, frowning slightly as he did. After a few tense moments, Thor pronounced the boy perfect. Arvid had beamed happily.

Lofi had rolled his eyes and muttered, "Blind."

The children had been given a part of the tunnels as their own since many of the SHIELD agents felt uncomfortable in the presence. Agent Hill had taken Terry under her wing and was showing him all around the base. Steve went with the two of them, wanting to keep an eye on his future offspring.

Lofi and Justin had been rounded up by Pepper. She had taken them to the small tunnel that served as the kitchen. Bailey wandered in, trying to find somewhere quiet to work. The two boys sat across from Pepper, eating the stale cookies she had passed them and answering all the questions they could about her future. Occasionally Pepper looked at Justin warily as she asked, "I don't really let you do that, do I?"

Justin nodded, "You do, honest."

"He's only telling you that so you don't ground him for destroying the Persian rugs." Bailey mumbled as she got up.

She retreated to one of the other side tunnels. It had a gaping hole in the wall that connected to the tunnels, but Bailey had still shut the roughly made door behind her. She crawled onto the battered couch and lay on her stomach. She leaned off the front, bent her legs at the knees and hooked her feet over the tops of the cushions. She pulled a notebook out of her pocket and laid it flat on the ground. She slid a pencil out of her hair and began scribbling down notes.

She didn't bother looking up when Arvid appeared.

He looked at her, then sat down on the couch next to her. Bailey ignored him, continuing instead with her scribbling. After a moment or two, Arvid began toying with Bailey's hair. She hunched her shoulders and turned away, concentrating hard on the notebook in front of her. He brushed her hair aside and began rubbing his thumb in small circles on the back of her neck. She ignored him for a moment. Then, quite suddenly and with no warning at all, she stabbed her pencil into the back of his hand.

Arvid yelped and pulled back. He nursed his hand and gave Bailey a hurt look, "What was that for?"

"Stop touching me." Bailey scribbled something down, "I have stuff to do."

Arvid looked at her longingly for a moment, then he got to his feet and walked out into the hall. He slouched against the opposite wall and crossed his arms. He watched Bailey through the hole as she continued writing. He looked up when Thor appeared. His father also looked through the hole at Bailey, "You fancy her?"

Arvid nodded. He looked down, "If you're going to lecture me about my taste –"

"Why would I do that?"

"Oh," his eyes narrowed, "You don't know about her yet."

"What don't we know about her yet?"

Arvid raised a brow, "She hasn't told you?"

"Hasn't told us what?" Thor looked slightly confused.

Arvid looked gleeful, "Oh, this is too good."

Thor shook his head, "How about you tell me?"

Arvid's eyes widened, "No. I won't betray her confidence."

Bailey didn't bother to look up. "I can hear you."

Thor looked her way, obviously curious, "Will you tell me this dark secret of yours?"

Bailey nibbled the end of her pencil. She looked at Thor thoughtfully; green eyes alight as she analyzed the situation carefully, then returned her gaze to the paper, "No, I don't think I will."

Arvid patted his father's shoulder, "She threw Mr. Stark threw a fifth story window when he asked her."

Thor raised a brow, "Do you jest?"

"Of course not," Arvid shrugged, "He couldn't move for months."

Thor gave him a hard glare, "You seem pleased."

Arvid looked flustered as he began to sputter a denial. Bailey flopped off the couch. She stalked past them and down the passage. Arvid watched her go, eyes fastened to her nether regions. Thor swatted him on his head, "Did I not teach you not to ogle girls like pieces of meat?"

Arvid merely looked at him, "I might look at her, but I would never do anything that would degrade her or hurt her in anyway."

Thor nodded, "I shall hold you to your word."

Arvid started off, "Hurry! You'll want to see this."

They followed Bailey down the passages.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Bailey wandered till she found Terry. He was sitting with Steve and Bruce. Bailey walked over and touched his shoulder. Terry looked at her, eyes widening when she grabbed his hair. She jerked him off the stool, forced him to his knees and slid her hand into his pocket and pulled out his knife. She pressed it against the base of his jaw and allowed it to almost slice the skin.

Steve and Bruce both jumped to their feet and looked as if they were going to stop her, but Arvid stood in-between them. He was smiling tightly as he shook his head, "That is not a good plan my friends."

Steve resorted to shouting at Bailey to stop, but she turned a deaf ear to his threats and continued pressing the blade to Terry's neck. Attracted by the shouts, the rest of the team slowly filtered in. They watched, half worried, half fascinated. Bailey paid them no attention at all as she dug the blade in deeper, even when they all began shouting at her. She blew back a curl as she asked, "Why were you so sloppy?"

"What the hell are yo-"

His voice trailed off as Bailey tightened her grip on his hair. She sounded almost amused, "You left fingerprints." Then her voice went cold again, "You insulted my intelligence. You really thought you could get away with it? I have more safety precautions than you can guess on all my things. The only reason why you didn't end up in a charred pile on the floor is because it recognized your biological signature. I even had Matt work his magic on you. I've known for while that you were hiding something. " She scowled, "You really thought you could fool me, why?"

Terry didn't answer. He merely shook his head. Bailey let the knife fall away. She sat down across from him, crossing her legs Indian-style as she looked up at him. Terry glared at her, "You cut me."

"I thought you were the bad guy." Bailey shut her eyes, breathing deeply and letting her body relax, "You're not the 'bad guy,' you're just a stupid kid."

"I'm two years older than you."

"Arvid is four years older than me. It makes no difference. I'm fifteen and I'm smarter and more sensible than he is." It wasn't boasting, it was a fact and she stated it as such, but no one missed the glimmer of a smile that flitted across her tranquil face.

Terry looked at her carefully as he found a napkin and held it to his neck. "You're a bitch sometimes."

"That I am." Bailey opened one eye, "But it has its advantages." She leaned forward, "Tell me why you messed with my machine or I will break all your bones, cut off your fingers and feed them to you one joint at a time."

Bruce blinked in alarm and looked at Arvid, "Is she serious?"

"She cut out a man's eyes and fed them to him." Arvid replied, then he added, "He deserved it."

"Why?" Steve asked as he kept a close eye on Bailey.

"He was a – what do you call them – pedophile." Arvid's smile humorless and dark, "She decided since his eyes were what led him astray, it would be better for him to live without them."

"But you can't just do that! He deserved it, but you can't! You have to at least take the guy to court!" Steve looked angry. "That's not justice."

He turned to the others. Natasha shrugged, "If it was up to me they'd be shot."

Clint agreed with Natasha, "I can't disagree. He deserved it."

Thor looked thunderous, "Such scum does not deserve to walk the earth!"

Bruce stayed quiet, but his flashing eyes betrayed his feelings on the issue. Steve sighed. They turned back to Bailey when she giggled, each of them looking slightly worried. Her face was as smooth and expressionless as stone. Her eyes were still shut as she muttered, "Five should do it."

Arvid leaned over Terry, using his head as an armrest as he touched Bailey's curls, "Five of what?"

Her eyes snapped open. She stood up, "Hours." Her eyes drooped, "I want to sleep."

Arvid grabbed her as she swayed suddenly. He scooped her up, holding her carefully as he asked, "When was the last time you ate?"

"I had a juice box on Wednesday." Bailey snuggled her head against his chest.

"But it's Saturday and that's not food!" Terry sounded disgusted.

"It said on the carton it was a full serving of fruit." Her eyes shut and she went to sleep instantly.

Arvid glowered at Terry, "I told you to make sure she ate."

"She locked herself in her lab and booby trapped the door." Terry narrowed his eyes, "Justin couldn't even figure out how to disarm them. We got electrocuted six times."

"You could've just thrown the shield at the door."

"My dad was using it."

Arvid's face reddened. Terry stiffened defensively. Steve intervened. He grabbed Terry's upper arms and yanked him back into a chair. He nodded to Arvid, "Go put her somewhere."

Arvid disappeared quickly. The rest of the team suddenly decided they had other places to be, except for Clint who had to be pulled away by Natasha.

Steve turned to Terry. The boy crossed his arms over his chest, obscuring the black star on his chest. His eyes were hard as he snapped, "What?"

"Why did you do it?"

"Why the hell do you think I did it?" His mouth twisted, "God, Dad, you're really that blind?" His laugh was sharp and clear, "I did it because of you. Do you know what it's like living in a shadow, always having your actions compared to someone else's? Always being told, 'Your father would have done it this way'? Knowing you'll never be good enough to fill his shoes?"

Steve looked at him, eyes sad, "Do you really feel that way?"

"Wouldn't you?"

"I'd try not to."

Terry scoffed at his father's words, "I'd pay to see that."

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

This was quick. Anyway, thanks to Raychaell Dionzeros and Amy for their reviews!


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

He shut the door behind him, closing it softly so as not to wake her. Arvid had set Bailey down on the dilapidated bed. She had curled up, one arm over her eyes, and snuggled down against the sheet. Arvid had used a ragged blanket to cover her, then he'd stepped back and left the room as quietly as he could.

Bailey waited till Arvid was gone.

She rolled off the bed, leaving the blanket in a bunched up heap. She slipped her hands in her pockets and simply walked out the door. She passed the kitchen and caught sight of Justin and Lofi. She made sure to keep close to the wall. As a child she had discovered that the quicker you walked and the closer you stayed to a wall, the less likely you were to be noticed. She slinked past them, and down the hall. When she reached a less populated section of the tunnels she began looking for a specific ladder and manhole.

"You're never going to get it back on your own."

Bailey didn't flinch even a little when Matt spoke from behind her. She continued looking for the ladder, "I know. That's why I found you."

"You expect me to walk in a well guarded, alien surrounded building and try to take back something Loki has and will do just about anything to protect?"

"No. I expect you to cause a diversion. Peter's going to get my time machine back."

"And what makes you so sure?"

Bailey found the ladder and scrambled up. She shoved the cover off, got to her feet and crossed her arms over her stomach as she said, "Because this is where I told him to meet me if he ever wanted to see you again."

Matt climbed out and stood next to her. He looked down at her, milky eyes narrow, "You are an idiot."

"I'm a lot of things. An idiot is not one of them."

The hard ball of webbing hit Bailey between her shoulder blades. She didn't even wince. Instead, she turned to look up at Peter. He hung upside down from a lamppost and watched her carefully. His costume was torn and muddy, but the bright colors were still visible. Bailey smiled at him, "Spiders are incredibly resilient."

He dropped to the ground. Matt held up a hand, forestalling the younger man's worried questioning, "I'm fine."

Bailey gave them no time for a reunion. "Do you like living like this?"

Matt and Peter exchanged glances. Matt shut his eyes, "She's going to ask you for something crazy."

"It's not crazy. Crazy means it's a half assed scheme that ends up with someone getting caught and the cavalry being called in. This is a plan." Bailey sat down, "You may want to get comfortable."

The men sat and before Bailey could speak, Matt asked, "Why can't you just use the one that's still in the future?"

"It doesn't work properly. I'm surprised Arvid made it through alive. It should have blown him to bits."

Peter shrugged, "That's a good enough reason."

Bailey sighed and began explaining, "The three of us will be able to do it alone, but we might not have the time. My boys will try to help." She blinked three times."I don't want them to help."

"Why not, wouldn't they be helpful?" Matt turned his head, listening to see if Bailey's heartbeat changed at all.

She looked at them both squarely. "I care more about their lives than I do yours. If someone has to die, I want it to be you, not them."

She didn't give Peter time to snap out his angry reply. "Loki's main flaw is that he only sees things that are directly in front of him. He's convinced of his own power. He thinks that everyone will focus on him. If Matt and I attack from the front, he'll be too busy waiting for us to try and come after him, to pay much attention to anything happening behind his back."

"Why would we help you?"

Bailey's blank stare made shivers run up and down Peter's spine. Her voice did much the same, "If you don't, I'll have to kill you."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"You lost her? How could you lose her?" Terry glared at Arvid.

Arvid's eyes blazed, "I thought she was asleep!"

"Well, she wasn't obviously." Justin snapped.

Terry looked at the ceiling as he muttered, "This is just great!"

"She could be anywhere!" Lofi pointed out.

Arvid's reasoning was, a bit, more sound than his cousin's, "She'll be trying to get her time machine."

"Where is it?" Lofi asked.

"With Loki, duh," Justin snapped as he swatted the back of Lofi's head.

"Where's Loki?" Lofi asked as he grabbed Justin's wrist and squeezed hard.

"Stark Tower," Justin, Arvid, Terry and Lofi all whirled to look at Bruce. He'd been walking past and had heard their squabble. Bruce shrugged, "He likes it there."

Terry thought for a moment, then asked, "How do we get in?"

"Didn't you already get in?" Arvid asked as he put his head on one side and smiled crookedly at Terry.

Terry's glare was cold enough to freeze him. "I never gave him the time machine. It ended up a few blocks away from us and when I went looking for it, the aliens had already gotten to it."

"Why didn't you tell us that right away?" Arvid asked.

"I thought I could get it back myself." Terry confessed, shamefaced.

Justin leaned down to mutter in Lofi's ear, "Why don't you just go in? You could magic yourself in and out pretty quick."

Lofi muttered back, "No. I'm not risking that. You know what my dad's like." He shivered slightly.

Justin noticed his shiver. "Don't worry," Justin rolled his eyes mockingly. He put an arm around Lofi's shoulders, "I'll protect you."

Lofi fluttered his eyelashes, "Oh, my knight in gritty armor. What would I do without you?"

"You two are so messed up."

Justin and Lofi looked at Arvid and grinned manically. Arvid shuddered. Terry shook his head, "They're never gonna be normal, why point out their weirdness?"

Arvid sighed, "I just wanted them to know."

Justin grinned at him, "Can we get back to figuring out how to storm a fortress?"

Lofi nodded his agreement. Terry turned back to Bruce, "Do you have any ideas?"

"You may want to consider asking for help."

Arvid shook his head, "We can't. If we do it might mess something up."

"You mean there's actually something else that could go wrong?" Bruce smiled crookedly, "If any of us get killed it'll be put right it if we get the time machine back."

"That makes sense." Arvid allowed.

"We don't need their help." Terry said sharply. "We do it on our own in our time; we can do it on our own here."

Bruce sensed impending conflict and left in short order. He shut the door behind him, not wanting the shouts to follow him. It wouldn't be good if he got flustered.

Arvid snorted, "Just let them help. We all know you have an inferiority complex. That's not important here. What is important is that we put everything right." His eyes hardened, "No, what's important is that _you_ make it right. This is your doing anyway. If we were being just, we would send you in alone and make sure Bailey stays safe."

Terry nodded, "I'll go in alone if that's how you all feel."

"As if we'd trust you to do that," Lofi looked down, eyes dark. Terry's hurt expression made him duck his head. He flinched a little, letting his hair shade his face as he murmured, "I didn't mean –"

"You did." Terry stood slowly. His hands curled in tight fists as he said, "If that's how you all feel, I'll leave now. You obviously don't need me."

Justin bit his lip as he muttered, "As much as I don't want to admit it, we do need you."

Arvid's face was harsh. "You'll make adequate bait if nothing else."

Terry's body almost relaxed, his lips almost creased in a smile, "It's nice to know I'm needed."

Arvid's fingers touched the hilt of his sword, toying with the idea of pulling it out. Lofi sensed his thoughts and put his slim fingers on Arvid's forearm. He shook his head, "No."

Arvid glowered at him, but instead of shouting at him, Arvid merely put his cousin in a headlock for a few moments. Lofi choked and squirmed, mostly to appease Arvid than anything else. Justin rolled his eyes, "You two are so immature." Then he grabbed Lofi's arms, "Besides, you sold him to me."

Lofi squeaked, "You did what?"

Arvid smiled, "Nothing."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Here's chapter eight! Thanks to Amy and Raychaell Dionzeros for their reviews. **


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

Bailey stripped off her clothes. Her pale arms and legs almost blended in with the snow. Underneath, she wore what seemed to be a leather leotard that came down to the top of her thighs and left her long legs bare. It had a small symbol on the chest. It was so tiny Peter couldn't make it out properly.

She also slipped off her shoes and socks. She folded her sweater and trousers, laid the shoes, with the socks tucked inside them, on top of the pile, then handed them to Peter. The spider stared at her, "What are you doing?"

"I don't want my clothes messed up. Can you put them up high?"

Peter nodded, "I guess so." He jumped into the air, making sure to stay as out of sight as he possibly could. He hung for a moment, looking down at her curiously, "Are you cold?"

"I never get cold."

Peter shook his head, "I should've known." He swung off into the twilight.

"Are you sure this will work?"

Bailey glanced at Matt, "Of course not."

He nodded, "I see."

Bailey rose onto her toes and flexed her body experimentally. Her neck popped and Matt winced at the resounding crack. A moment later Peter dropped back down, landing silently beside Matt. He shifted nervously, "I don't see any guards."

Bailey's eyes narrowed, "You're not meant to. They're hiding. But they're there, don't worry doubt that. Are you ready?" She looked Matt full in the face.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Good." Bailey sighed, "On the count of three." She paused for a moment, "Three."

Peter swung into the sky. Matt pulled out his cane as he and Bailey walked toward the building.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The boys arrived barely moments after the chaos had begun. Despite Terry's misgivings, their parents had accompanied them. Now, the entire group, with the additions of Pepper and Agent Hill, who Fury had sent to keep a close eye on the children, stood at the edge of the sidewalk and looked at the piled up bodies. Clint and Natasha went off in opposite directions, deciding that scouting the area would be prudent.

As he looked at the blood stained concrete and blood filled gutters. Justin wrinkled his nose, "It smells."

Pepper looked shocked, "Did that little girl do all this?"

"I'm surprised this is all she did." Arvid said with a laugh. "Usually she leaves behind a much bigger trail."

"Can we get in there already?" Lofi's voice was soft as he shifted around uncomfortably, eyes wide.

Justin took his hand, making the gesture as sickeningly sweet as he could. Lofi glowered at him. The grownups all winced and looked away. Justin leaned forward, touching his nose to Lofi's. Their foreheads touched. Lofi looked as if he was going to start shouting, but Justin slipped a hand over his mouth. He pushed Lofi back until his back hit the building behind them. Justin petted Lofi's hair as he murmured, "You don't need to worry. I'll be right next to you the entire time. We can kick their butts any day of the week." His voice dropped lower, "You'll be fine. We'll make sure nothing happens to you. I promise."

Lofi glared murderously at him and hissed, "Let go of me."

Justin smirked, "But you're so cuddly."

A muscle in Lofi's cheek jumped, his cheeks flushed and his hands curled into fists. He punched Justin in the stomach. Justin doubled over, laughing despite the lack of breath in his lungs. Lofi cannoned into him, knocking him over. They wrestled, rolling around in the snow. But Justin was stronger and Lofi soon found himself face down in the snow.

Arvid spoke up, "You should know better cousin." He smirked, "You're the one who always ends up on your stomach."

Thor couldn't help his snort of laughter. Cap tried to look responsible, but failed a little. Terry barely even tried to stifle his laughter. He and Arvid exchanged glances, both of them grinning. Then they frowned viciously at one another and looked away pointedly. Pepper glared at Terry a little as she massaged her temples carefully, "Maria, Steve control your son." She didn't spare Thor a glanced as she said, "You're as immature as he is."

Steve choked, staring at the tall woman, "Maria?"

Agent Hill gave him a hard glance, "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, I just meant – I didn't think –" He blushed madly. Agent Hill smiled at him, the tender expression on her face the same as if she was looking at a helpless kitten. Terry gagged.

Meanwhile, Lofi tried to scramble to his feet, but Justin dragged him down again. Justin sat on his stomach and pulled out a small, flexible pair of handcuffs out of his pocket. He attached them to Loki's left wrist and to his right, then he stood up. Lofi stared at him, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm not losing you again." Justin scoffed, "Remember what happened in South Africa?"

Thor looked interested, "What happened in South Africa?"

Arvid spoke up offhandedly, "He got kidnapped by slave traders who planned on selling him as a sex toy." Lofi cursed him vehemently.

Justin laughed, "Those poor fools never stood a chance."

After noting the shell shocked, rather angry looks on Pepper and Maria's faces, Terry snapped, "Enough. Get up and stop it."

Justin jerked Lofi to his feet. Lofi tried to undo the cuffs, but Justin slapped the back of his head. Lofi glared at him. Arvid grabbed them both around the neck, "Be good."

Terry turned to face the destruction. He took a deep breath, "Let's go."

"We have to wait for Clint and Natasha." Steve said. The others stopped. Lofi and Justin started arguing as they waited impatiently.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Bailey's hair was sticky and clung to her face. Her hands, neck and cheeks were covered in a combination of blood and sweat. She breathed lightly as she snapped the neck of the alien she held in her hands. Its body fell limp and lifeless to the ground. Bailey stepped on the body as she went on. Her eyes were fixed on a distant figure in green and gold.

She grinned at Matt as he landed next to her, "Having fun?"

He was also soaked with blood and sweat, but he grinned at her anyway as he said, "I'm having a ball."

Bailey jumped, rolling her body into a ball. She landed on an alien's shoulders and used her toes to gouge out his eyes. She dug her toes into his eye sockets and used them as leverage to throw herself into the air in a wild spinning leap. She caught him in the back of the head with both feet and knocked him flat. The alien started screaming wildly. Bailey landed on the ground again, knowing Matt would finish it off. She stopped and looked up at Stark Tower. She saw something flash on its left side. Her eyes narrowed as she concentrated on the distant figure. Then a satisfied look crossed her face when she saw the red and blue more clearly.

She shouted to Matt, "Spider's out!"

Matt was about to reply when he heard a faint voice. Bailey heard it as well and slipped off, incapacitating or killing anything that stood in her way. He turned, waiting till it became clearer to answer. Terry shouted, "Murdock!"

"What?"

The group thundered up. Arvid glanced around, "Where's Bailey?"

"That way, why," Matt stabbed his cane into an alien's chest. It gurgled feebly as he pulled it free and kicked the creature over backwards.

Arvid didn't answer. He pushed past Matt and ran after Bailey, his sword flashing and spraying blood all over the place, shouting for Bailey to stop.

Bailey heard the shouts, but continued on her way. She only stopped when a hulking green figure landed in front of her. The force of his landing knocked her backwards. Her head slammed on the ground and black super nova's appeared in her vision. She stayed still a moment, feeling blood trickle down her temple, then she stood up and started off again.

Arvid's left arm wrapped around her waist, he pulled her back against him as he asked, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Bailey pulled free easily. She turned to face him as she said, "I was getting my time machine back."

"You've succeeded so well."

"Peter has it. He's taking it back to SHIELD headquarters now."

Arvid realized his sarcasm had been wasted. He shook his head, "Then why are you still here?"

Bailey looked at him as if he was a fool, "I don't want Loki to suspect I have what I came for. I'm not leaving for a little longer."

An alien corpse almost crushed them. Bailey watched the Hulk for a moment, "Why did you come?"

"It's not just me. Everyone's here."

"What?" Her voice dropped dangerously. "Whose idea was that?"

"We thought you-"

"You thought I would need help? When have I ever needed your help?"

Arvid's grip tightened on the hilt of his sword. Bailey noted it, but continued anyway, "I have no need of you help. Help? That's a stretch. All of you are merely buffoons charging around and waving weapons, never stopping to think." Her lips pressed together when she realized he wasn't getting angry. Bailey paused for a moment, then said, "You're rather pathetic."

His eyes narrowed. Bailey continued, "It's pathetic. You can't have your father's affection in our time so you come here. He doesn't know about you, of course he'll love you. But what if he knew? How do you think he'd react if he found out about your mother?"

Arvid let her finish. As she stopped and drew breath, Arvid said, "If you want me to hit you, all you have to do is ask."

Bailey shrugged one shoulder, "I thought it would work better if you were angry." She looked down, doing her best to convey the impression she regretted her course of action, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

He nodded his forgiveness, then Arvid lashed out. His fist slammed into Bailey's jaw and sent her flying back. Her body twisted slightly and she landed hard on her front. She lay still for a moment, then got to her feet. Her body grew longer and her muscles began to grow larger. Her hair grew quickly and fell over her face. Her eyes glowed green and she smiled as she turned and headed the same direction as the Hulk had gone.

She heard Terry call to her, but she ignored him as she went on her way. Her body was smooth, fluid and she moved with precision and grace, never once missing a step. Even as she threw herself at a huddle of aliens, her body never lost its sinuous, sensuous pace.

She eventually caught up with the green skinned figure. Bailey jumped over him and landed in front of him. Her hands were raised, palms open in a gesture of surrender, in front of her and she spoke slowly, "Stop it. We're done here."

He ignored her. Bailey sighed softly. She grabbed his arm and spun in a circle. When she let go, the Hulk was sent flying back the direction he'd come. Bailey followed at a run, watching his descent carefully.

Terry ran to Arvid's side. As he started to speak they heard a howl and looked up. The Hulk was sailing over their heads, roaring angrily as he began to descend. Bailey leapt over them and followed the Hulk quickly. Arvid looked at Terry, voice surprisingly calm, "We may need to evacuate the city."

Cap appeared, giving them both a hard stare, "What haven't you told us about that girl?"

Justin appeared. He hovered about four feet above the ground. Lofi clung to him, an arm around Justin's neck and one leg twined around Justin's right leg. He glared at Arvid as the Eagle began to grin. Justin's shoes were hanging off his belt and the air beneath his feet rippled. His eyes glowed red as he said, "She'll murder us if we tell."

"I like life," Lofi glared at Justin, "But there are some people I wouldn't mind if she killed."

Justin grinned, "You know you'd miss me."

"I would not."

"You'd miss our intimate bromance."

Terry and Arvid looked at each other, both with raised brows and manic grins. Lofi flushed bright red, "We do not have an 'intimate bromance!'"

Justin was about to reply when the Hulk touched down about five yards away. They were all knocked flying. Justin and Lofi slammed into the ground. Arvid managed to keep his footing, but he stumbled backwards and stepped on Terry's hand. Terry cursed at him. Arvid didn't bother with an apology. He lifted his sword and started to step forward, but Bailey stopped him.

She landed in front of him. Her green tinged skin glowed as brightly as her eyes. She put her hand on the blade of his sword and pushed it to the ground. She gave him a hard stare. She looked them over, then noticed the handcuffs connecting Lofi and Justin. She sighed and walked to them. She snapped the chain, tied the ends together tightly and smacked Justin over the head with the cuffs. She glared at the boys, "Stop bullying Lofi or I will kill you, then I'll tell your parents."

She gave them all long stares, then whirled toward Hulk. He charged toward her and Bailey grabbed his forearms. She jumped over him, pulling him over and throwing him hard onto his back. She landed on his chest and punched him in the throat. He threw her off, stumbling back and gasping for a moment. Bailey landed on her hands, skidding along the ground as she tried to stop herself. The Hulk recovered in a moment and lashed out at her. She was flung into the air. Bailey hit a building and went straight through, walls gave way and she was cut in numerous places by metal and glass. The Hulk followed her, roaring angrily. He grabbed her arms and threw her against the concrete. Bailey felt something slice into the right side of her torso and looked down. A broken pipe was embedded in her side.

The Hulk threw her again. As she hit the wall the pipe was driven further into her body. It slammed into her ribs and Bailey felt something crack. Bailey yelped, going limp instantly, her eyes rolled back in her head and she felt her body begin to shut down. Her breathing slowed and she almost smiled. She allowed him to throw her through another set of buildings.

As she landed, the concrete gave way beneath her and dirt covered her. Her small leotard was ripped in numerous places and her skin was sprinkled with blood. She tried to sit up, moving slowly and gingerly. Her matted hair covered her face and she flicked it back carelessly, then she cried out as her the movement sent a flash of pain shooting down her spine. Her fingers fumbled with the end of the pipe and she ripped it out carelessly. A chunk of flesh came with it and Bailey did her best to hold her skin together and keep her guts from spilling out.

She looked up when glass began raining down on her. Bailey rolled to the left as the Hulk nearly landed on her. She looked up at him and whispered, "You're acting stupid, Dad."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Here's this one. I'm sorry it took so long! I thought I'd uploaded it already (I think I dreamed that I did.). **

**Anyway...Thank you's to: Amy and Raychaell Dionzeros for their reviews. And a special thank you to the followers of this story. **


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

For a moment, he stood still and looked at her. Bailey stiffened as his hand stretched toward her. Then his eyes widened and he fell back. He sat down and rapidly grew smaller and smaller and his skin regained a much more human tint. He looked down at her, eyes narrowed quizzically. Then Bruce let out a half laugh, half cough, "Why didn't you tell me you're –" He paused, " that you're mine?"

Bailey stretched, wincing as her cuts flared painfully and her skin began to knit back together slowly. She sat up, smoothing back her hair. Her answer was brutally honest, "I thought you'd have been smart enough to figure it out. Besides, I thought it would be good ammunition for a surprise if I needed it."

"I thought – I didn- I wasn't planning on having kids."

"You didn't plan me. A rogue government agency took a sample of your sper-" She saw his face begin to redden, "Found some of you DNA and used it to make me."

"How did they get my," He almost gagged, "DNA?"

"You'd be surprised what they can do with alcohol."

She looked up as Arvid and Terry appeared. He grabbed her wrist and jerked her to her feet. Bruce looked at him, sizing him up, then asked, "Are you dating?"

Bailey looked at Arvid thoughtfully. Then she rolled her eyes, "No." Her eyes gleamed even though her face stayed blank, "You almost killed him when he kissed me."

Arvid looked annoyed, "I was nine."

"And she was five." Terry pointed out. Justin and Lofi appeared and started grinning. They'd heard the story hundreds of times, but it never ceased to amuse them.

Bruce looked darkly at Arvid. Arvid smiled nervously and stepped behind Bailey, "You already punished me once. I haven't done it since."

Bailey blinked, looking at Bruce then looking at Arvid. She turned, grabbed him by the back of the neck and jerked him down. His eyes widened as his lips collided with hers. After a moment, Bailey pushed him away. She looked at Bruce curiously, "You reacted much differently when I was little."

Bruce sighed, "I suppose I'm not used to being a dad yet."

"That might be true." Bailey put her head on one side, looking a little sad, "You didn't even look upset."

"Thank Odin for that." Arvid muttered. He stared at Bailey as if she was a goddess.

Terry shook his head, pulling Arvid to one side. "You're wasting your time. She's not interested in anyone or anything."

Justin muttered, "It's too bad her computer isn't human. She'd be in love." Then he grinned, "I think I could make that happen."

Arvid glared at him. Bailey ignored their conversation and instead turned to Bruce, "You always have a problem with my tactics. Men are always easy to manipulate. I have to work much harder on women." Her quick smile flashed, but this time there was something predatory in her eyes.

Bruce decided it was prudent not to ask what she meant.

Steve appeared. He spoke curtly, "We need to get below ground." He gave Bailey a hard stare, "You didn't mention that Loki would come after us."

She blinked at him three times, obviously considering her answer, "I thought it would be a rather obvious course of action for him to take."

The sky above them was thick with aliens. Bailey looked at her father, then at Arvid. "Get him below ground."

Bruce grabbed her shoulder, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to go kill at least six dozen of them. Then get close enough to Loki to snap his neck."

Lofi looked at her, eyes wide. Bailey patted his head, "I like you. I don't like you father."

"But he's still my dad."

"He also tried to kill me. I don't like him."

Arvid and Terry exchanged glances. They moved as one and grabbed Bailey. Arvid wrapped his arms around her torso, pinning her arms down and rendering them useless. Terry grabbed her by the knees. They lifted her up and started toward the sewer. Bailey sighed, "You're both so stupid."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Once they were underground and relatively safe, Justin clarified for the bemused grownups, "Not many of you actually like us kids." The whole team looked at him, not speaking at all as he continued, "But you never tried to kill us. Loki tried to kill Lofi a few times. He never liked that Lofi had chosen us over him. The last time he tried, Bailey shattered both his kneecaps and smashed his jaw." He glanced up at Thor then looked away quickly as he mumbled, "She also slammed you through a mountainside."

Bailey smiled at Thor as she caressed her machine lovingly. "You deserved it. You tried to stop me. No one stops me when I want to do something."

Thor didn't bother to reply.

The subway suddenly shook and dust fell from the ceiling. Bailey looked up briefly. Justin knelt and asked, "Do you need any help?"

Bailey nodded, "Put in the date." Justin looked at her blankly. Bailey sighed, "May fourth 2012." She looked at the others, "Go find our things."

Justin did as he was told, as did the others. Soon the time machine was whirring happily. Bailey petted it, eyes tender. She smiled at the group, "Say goodbye."

The boys did as they were told. Pepper smothered Justin with kisses and warnings of what she would do to him if he got hurt. Thor and Arvid had a sedate goodbye. Terry hugged both his parents. Lofi stood back, looking at the floor. Natasha noticed him and walked over. Bailey looked at Bruce and said, "I don't see why they're getting emotional. Once I fix everything, none of this will matter and none of you will remember it."

Bruce gathered her into a tight hug. Bailey stiffened, eyes going wide, then she wriggled free, nose wrinkled in annoyance. She muttered, "Stupid, emotional, human creatures."

She waited for the boys to grab hold of her, then flipped a lever on the machine. A blue bubble seemed to encompass them. There was a flash. Their parents faces blurred and they all shut their eyes against the flash of blinding light. Bailey felt a hand wrap around her waist and muttered, "Let go Justin."

Justin looked over at her, "I'm not touching you," He grinned, "But if you'd like me to oblige…"

Bailey slapped at the hand and Arvid yelped loudly as he jumped back. Bailey spoke softly, "Hands off."

"As you wish," Arvid murmured softly.

Justin muttered into Lofi's ear, "He's got it bad."

Lofi mumbled a reply, "He's had it bad since he was five."

Arvid slapped them both on the back of the head. "Shut up."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX**

**Here's ten! Yay me! Thank you to: Raychaell Dionzeros for their reviews!**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

The moment they landed, Bailey reached into her bag. She tossed Loki's scepter to Terry and hissed, "Put it back _exactly_ where you found it!"

"Will do," Terry disappeared. They had landed in the street below Stark Tower. Bailey estimated it would take Terry at least twenty minutes to get all the way to the top and back down again, barring any unexpected complications. She sighed. There were always unexpected complications.

Bailey motioned with her head, "Lofi, go with him and make sure no one sees him. Justin," she rounded on him quickly, "Stay here and make sure nothing happens to my machine."

Justin grinned and bowed melodramatically, "As you wish Madame."

Bailey blinked three times, then did it again. She started off down the street. Arvid looked at Justin, "Will you be alright on your own?"

"Go on, lover boy," Justin took off his shoes and hovered six inches off the ground. He snapped his wrists up and down and the jets in his palms opened up. "I'll be fine."

Arvid smiled, "Good."

He started off after Bailey. Justin called after him, "But if anything goes wrong, I'm blaming you for leaving me alone!"

Arvid ignored him and kept walking. But as he rounded the corner, he gave Justin a one fingered salute.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

Bailey was free climbing a skyscraper.

She had decided it was too risky to 'Hulk' out. There was too much of a chance she would hurt someone who wasn't supposed to be hurt, or killed. So instead she had decided to get above the crowds of screaming people and start her search there. She took off her shoes and socks and hung the around her neck. She started climbing.

At first it was relatively simple. But after about forty feet, her hands and feet were cut and some of them cuts had glass embedded in them. Bailey gritted her teeth and kept climbing. A sudden booming noise echoed around the city. The building shook and Bailey clung to it for dear life. A huge worm-like creature sailed past her. Bailey caught sight of her father and Thor on top of the creature. The moment the creature had passed and the building stopped shaking, she began climbing even faster.

She pulled herself over the edge of the building. She fell forward. She broke her fall with her elbows and rolled onto her back. She was confronted by an arrow held threateningly just above her left eye. She blinked three times, "Hello Clint."

Barton frowned, not moving the arrow an inch, "Do I know you?"

"Not yet," She pushed the arrow away and got to her feet. She winced as the cuts on her feet flared and sat down again quickly. She pulled out several shards of glass from each foot, then stood again. "I've been planning this for so long I'm not entirely sure where to start."

Clint narrowed his eyes, "Do you best."

Bailey paused for a moment, then said, "I know." She smiled, "I have something for you."

Bailey leaned forward and spoke softly in his ear for a moment, then pressed a watch into his hands. He stared at it, eyes wide. He met her gaze squarely, "Thank you."

Bailey smiled at him. She was about to speak again when Arvid climbed over the edge of the roof. He looked between Bailey and Clint. Then he sighed and asked, "What have you done?"

Bailey smiled, "Gave him something he wanted."

Arvid looked at her, unsure of what she meant. Bailey blinked three times, "Just go with it." Her eyes sparkled happily and the tiniest sort of smile creased her lips.

The Eagle looked down at her disapprovingly, "I thought you said no changing time."

"I didn't change time. I just gave him an opportunity to make a different choice." Bailey shrugged, "It might not change anything."

She looked back at Clint and said, "You might want to head for Stark Tower now."

Clint didn't waste time asking questions. He jumped over the edge of the building and landed on an alien. Bailey watched him until he disappeared. Arvid grabbed her shoulders and swung her around to face him, "You can't do that!"

"Do what," Bailey stared at his hands till he released her.

"You just changed something. You weren't here the first time this happened."

"Yes I was." Bailey smiled at him, "If we're here now, then we were here the first time. Everything that happened has already happened. Terry stealing the scepter, the alternate timeline, everything, it already happened. It's set in stone. The grownups won't remember it, but we will. The only one who'll know anything about it is Clint. He told me when I was twelve about this. That's why I started making my time machine. This happened to our parents before we were born, but for us it only just happened."

Arvid stared at her. Then he shook his head and shut his eyes, "My brain hurts."

"Now you know how my brain feels all the time." Bailey patted him sympathetically on the shoulder.

She went to the edge of the roof. Bailey leaned over the edge watching for any stray aliens. Arvid followed her. He pointed, "There."

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When they got back to their starting point, Bailey and Arvid saw Justin standing next to the time machine. He seemed agitated and had come back down to earth. He was pacing around in circles and glaring at everything around viciously. Bailey bounded over, looking around quickly, "It's been longer than twenty minutes, where are they?"

"I don't know!" Justin howled. There were several bodies behind him, piled up next to a car. He kicked the car, "I thought I saw Lofi, but I'm not sure."

Bailey sighed, "I'll go find them." She pointed at them, "Don't even think about leaving."

The two boys leaned against the car and looked at her innocently. Bailey frowned, then started off down the street. She stopped when she saw Lofi and Terry running toward her. She stopped and asked, "Why are you running?"

Terry bent at the waist. He grabbed Bailey's hips and hoisted her over his shoulder. She hung down his back and stayed still. Then she frowned, "Oh, I see why. Go faster."

Several dozen aliens followed them round the corner. Bailey wriggled wildly and Terry lost his grip. She fell hard and her nose and chin began bleeding. She knelt and pressed a few more buttons, then she grabbed Terry's leg and said, "Hold on."

Terry grabbed Lofi's shoulder. Lofi cringed as Arvid and Justin both grabbed hold of him. The aliens rounded the corner and came toward them slowly. Bailey pressed the button, then frowned, "Oh no."

All four boys glared daggers at her. Bailey blinked three times at them, "I was joking."

"Not funny," Justin muttered. His words were a mumbled growl from behind his clenched teeth.

Bailey pressed the button and the blinding flash of light made the aliens fall back and howl angrily.

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**Thanks to CaptiveAuthor for her review! **


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

They came to a stop with a hard jolt. Terry fell and brought the others down with him. Bailey squirmed, trying to wriggle out from underneath Arvid. Arvid put an arm around her waist. Bailey considered biting his shoulder, if she got her teeth around the muscle; she could immobilize him for several months; she decided not to bite him when he grinned at her and said, "You're a genius."

Lofi muttered, "Don't tell her that. She'll do something stupid."

Justin slapped him on the back of the head. As he started to speak, Lofi lunged for him and they rolled around the lab, bumping into things and punching one another violently. Terry tipped his head toward the ceiling. He sighed aloud, "We'd better have gotten everything back to normal."

"What the hell are you doing?"

Fury stood in the doorway of Bailey's lab. He looked down at them, brow furrowed. Terry scrambled out of the pile of bodies and said, "Director Fury – uh – well –" He swallowed, "It's my fault sir."

He clasped his hands behind him, military style, and looked down. Fury nodded, giving Terry a sour glare. He was about to speak, when a slim girl entered. Her hair was dark reddish brown and was twisted in a thick braid. Her eyes were a piercingly dark blue grey. She wore high heeled leather boots and a leather cat suit that hugged her figure and left almost nothing to the imagination. She had a quiver of arrows slung across her back and a bow clutched in one hand. She had a gun strapped to each hip. She glanced at the tangle of bodies; her lips trembled as if she was going to smile, then looked at Fury, batting her eyes coyly, "Mission completed sir."

She turned to Terry and grabbed his face in both hands. She pulled him down and pressed her lips against his. She opened her mouth. Terry's eyes widened and he almost pulled away. Then he blinked several times and frowned, but he continued letting her kiss him. One of her hands slid up his neck and she began running her fingers through his hair. Terry slid a hand down her back. She pushed him away after a moment. She smiled at him, ran her fingers slowly down the front of his suit, and murmured, "I'll see you tonight."

She strode out.

Terry stared after her, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Bailey blinked half a dozen times. Lofi and Justin gagged and held onto each other for support. Arvid smiled, "Nice."

Director Fury frowned as he stalked out, "I would appreciate it if you kept your personal life separate from your work." He looked at them, "I want all of you in my office in ten minutes."

Once he was gone, Terry rounded on Bailey, "Who is that?"

"Nikkita Barton," Bailey smiled at him, "You have to remember her."

"I do, but she was never there." Terry frowned, "We've been dating for five years, but I know we weren't dating when we left." His eyes narrowed as he glared at Bailey, "What did you do?"

Arvid grabbed Bailey's upper arm and swung her around to face him. He shook her, "You changed history. You told me you hadn't changed history!"

"No I didn't!" She jerked free. "She was always here. You remember her. I remember her." She smiled, "I might've given Clint a watch the counted down to the exact time Natasha got hurt and had the coordinates for exactly where she was at that exact time, but that doesn't mean I changed history." She shrugged, "Besides, I wouldn't have built a time machine if Clint hadn't told me I did. I know better."

Terry looked slightly lost. He turned to Arvid, "Am I supposed to be angry with her?"

Arvid considered it for a moment. He looked at Terry, then Bailey, then back to Terry. He said, "The rest of us have the right to be upset. You should be down on your knees thanking her. Without her you'd never ever have gotten a girlfriend."

Terry glowered at him, "Shut up. I could've gotten a girlfriend."

Justin muttered something to Lofi. Lofi's cheeks reddened as he tried his best to suppress his laughter. Terry glared at them. Arvid patted his shoulder, "Don't worry. You'd have gotten a girlfriend, maybe. But I doubt it would've happened."

Bailey put her head on one side, watching the boys for a moment. She sighed as they began to argue. She stepped forward and shoved Arvid in the chest. "Go on, get out."

She shooed them to the door. Arvid stuck his foot in the door, "We have to go see Fury."

"I'll be out in a minute." Bailey slammed the door shut behind her and leaned against it. She smiled happily. She bounced across the room and picked up her time machine. She caressed it lovingly and placed it on the desk. She petted it for a moment, then picked up a mallet.

Bailey slammed the mallet down onto the machine. Sparks and springs flew out at her. She smiled wildly and continued slamming the mallet down. The console was the first to go. The keys fell off and Bailey made sure to crush each and every one. Soon the machine was a smoking pile of rubble. She swept it off the table in one smooth motion. She kicked the pile of rubble into the corner of her lab near the paper filled trashcan. She pulled the corner of the tarp she used to hide her mess over the new pile.

Bailey went to the door and went out into the hall. The boys were waiting. Terry looked nervous. Bailey frowned and looked down. She walked ahead of them. Suddenly she whirled on them. The heel of her right hand flashed out and slammed into Terry's chin. He crumpled to the floor, eyes rolling back in his head. Bailey grabbed Justin and Lofi and slammed their heads together. The boys landed together in a heap.

Arvid stepped back. He held his hands up, "I'll go willingly."

Bailey turned her back on him. She lashed out, twisting her body around and slamming her right heel into his temple. Arvid moaned, "That hurt."

He landed on Lofi as he fell. Bailey looked around. No one was there. She dragged the boys into her lab. Bailey locked the door from the outside and strode down the hall. She didn't bother to knock as she waltzed into Fury's office. She sat down and started to speak before Fury could open his mouth.

Almost an hour later, Bailey finished speaking and sat still, watching the expression on Fury's face carefully, trying to gauge his mood. Fury tapped a pen slowly on his desk, "So you're telling me _you_ were the one who messed up," Fury looked her in the eyes. When Bailey had arrived alone Fury had suspected that he was going to be hearing something odd. He had been right.

Bailey looked back, head on one side. She nodded, "Yes."

"Why did Rogers say it was his fault?"

Bailey paused for a moment, then offered, "He didn't want me to get in trouble?"

"You're a bad liar."

"Not usually," Bailey ducked her head. She didn't look up as she murmured, "They can't get in trouble. Their parents will get angry with them. They'd be upset."

"Won't your father get angry?"

"He's used to this sort of thing." She looked up, "Besides, I don't care about his approval."

Fury hid his surprise well, "In that case, I have no choice," Fury thought for a moment, then he inclined his head toward the door, "Until further notice, you're suspended from active duty."

Bailey's head snapped up, "You mean I have to spend all day with my dad?" Her eyes widened.

Fury nodded, looking down at his paperwork, "Won't that be fun?"

Bailey cringed. "No."

**FIN **

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**Almost **

Hours after being dismissed from Fury's office, Bailey emerged from her lab. She drifted down the hall until she heard the sound of voices. She looked in the room and put her head on one side. She vaguely remembered the room. Nikkita had commandeered it when she first began working for Fury. Bailey caught sight of Terry and Arvid. They were sitting at the table and talking quietly. She noted Lofi and Justin, squished together on a small couch and fighting for possession of said couch.

"You're allowed to go in, you know."

Bailey turned to look at Nikkita. She looked Nikkita up and down, feeling suddenly out of place beside the beautiful girl. Nikkita's eyes narrowed as she looked hard at Bailey, "Is something wrong?"

"No," Bailey answered. She walked away from the door quickly.

Nikkita stopped her, her right hand flashing out and gripping Bailey's shoulder very tightly as she spun the green eyed girl back around to face her. She put her head on one side and looked Bailey in the eye. Bailey realized that Nikkita was almost taller than her. Bailey stepped back, shaking her shoulder loose. Nikkita glared hard at her, "You got Terry in trouble."

"I did no such thing." Bailey replied, voice monotone, "He was the one who messed with _my_ machine, besides, Fury won't punish him."

"It was still _your_ machine." Nikkita pointed out. "Next time, don't be so stupid, if you can avoid it." She stalked through the door and slammed it behind her.

Bailey sighed as she heard the faint sound of the door locking. She felt something coiling low in her chest, something heavy that made her stomach roll, forced her throat to tighten and stopped her breath momentarily. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the feeling. She walked down the hall quickly. She reached the heavy, metal door and put her hand on the ID pad next to the door frame. It opened and Bailey went through. She waited for the door to shut, then knelt and began rewiring the ID pad. She pressed two wires together and smiled as they sparked. Bailey jumped when a voice behind her asked, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Bailey replied as she got to her feet. She turned to look at her father. She was almost the same height as her father. His hair was graying and his face was wrinkled. He was still in shape. But his eyes were dark and haunted.

Bruce looked at her suspiciously. Bailey blinked three times, then stood beside him and pulled his arm around her shoulders and leaned her head against his chest. She tried to flutter her eyelashes, but it merely made Bruce frown, "Did you rewire the ID pad?"

Bailey blinked three times, "Maybe."

Bruce shook his head, "I've told you to stop doing things like that."

Bailey stuck her tongue out. "I know." She sighed and muttered, "I shouldn't do nice things for people. They always end up backfiring on me."

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked. He knelt and began rewiring the ID pad again.

Bailey leaned over his shoulder and pointed, "The red wire goes there."

"I know how to rewire something."

Bailey replied, "You know science, this isn't science. Don't you remember what happened to the toaster when you tried rewiring that?"

"It wasn't that bad." Bruce muttered.

"Half the kitchen burned down and we got evicted." Bailey reached around her father and grabbed the wires. She sighed, "Let me do it."

Bruce moved to one side. Bailey made a few adjustments, then turned to him, "You're early."

"Tony made plans with Pepper."

Bailey blinked, "But they don't like spending time with each other."

"What gave you that idea?"

Bailey blinked, "Maybe because the last time they were near each other, Pepper slammed his head in a car door and said the 'D' word."

"The 'D' word," Bruce looked at her, slightly confused.

"Divorce," Bailey enunciated every syllable.

"They have problems. That doesn't mean anything. They've been together this long, they won't get a divorce now."

Bailey put her head on one side, looking at her father suspiciously, "Are you sure?"

He nodded. Bailey smiled, "Good."

Steve appeared, "Did she rewire something?" He still looked much the same, but he had slight wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. His blond hair was graying. He looked at Bailey suspiciously, "What did you do now, young lady?"

"I fixed it." Bailey replied.

Clint and Natasha appeared. They were walking beside each other and talking softly. On the fourth finger of their left hands, was a pair of identical gold bands. Natasha's red hair was kept the same color. She had it dyed carefully every month. Clint's hair was very grey and he had a scar from his cheekbone to jaw line of his left cheek. They looked at Bailey and Clint winked at her. Natasha asked, "What did you do this time?"

"I didn't do anything!" Bailey glared at them, especially Clint. The grownups returned her glare and after a moment, she slumped down against the wall and rested her forehead on her knees. Bruce gave Natasha and Steve a hard stare. Natasha went to the door and put her hand on the ID pad. She jumped back with a loud yelp. Bailey looked up, "I might've missed a wire."

Bruce glared at her, but said nothing. Bailey looked at him and asked, "Hypothetically, would I be in trouble if I had gone back in time with the boys, changed history slightly, almost killed you and destroyed several thousand dollars worth of equipment?"

All eyes snapped to her and Steve asked, "What did you do?"

"I said it was hypothetical." Bailey blinked several times, then asked, "Would I be in trouble?"

Bruce put an arm around her neck, "Do you remember your punishment when you threw Thor through a mountain?"

"Yes."

"It'll be worse than that," Bruce added with a smile, "Hypothetically of course."

Bailey sighed, "I have a confession to make."

**FIN**

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**Well, here's the last chapter. Thanks so much to everyone who's Reviewed and/or Watched, Followed or Favorited over the course of this story. And a special thanks to Amy for being really cool. **

**(P.S. I am so writing one shots for this, I promise!)**


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